Ryan Sweeney back in Oakland — but won’t play in series

Cubs outfielder Ryan Sweeney was looking forward to playing in his old park. He was also sure his ribs were only bruised following a Saturday collision with the outfield wall in Safeco Field.

But he found he couldn’t swing without significant pain, and a CT scan confirmed it: fracture; 60-day disabled list.

“I didn’t want to be out that long, but there were a couple of trades and a couple new players they wanted to make room for,” he said before Tuesday’s A’s-Cubs series opener. “So I said, ‘Whatever’s best for the team.’ ”

Now he’s back in Oakland, where he played from 2008 to 2011, as a spectator from the dugout. “It’s always good to be back,” he said. “I came back last year with Boston and had a great time.”

The A’s have changed a lot since Sweeney last played here. More than he expected. “All these pitchers are way younger than I remember,” he said.

Sweeney was having an excellent year in the middle of the Cubs’ order, probably his strongest to date, hitting .295 and posting his highest career OPS (.868).

“He’s been a good bat,” Cubs manager Dale Sveum said, “a big impact.”

Sweeney got a steady spot in the Cubs’ lineup after center fielder David DeJesus was sent to the DL following his own crash into an outfield wall. Sweeney, who had begun to thrive hitting fourth and fifth in Chicago’s lineup, broke his ribs running down a fly ball in Seattle.

Now Sweeney says he’ll focus on finishing strong once he is reactivated. “All I really want is a good last four to five weeks of the season,” he said. “This year’s gone by pretty quick.”

Normally, he and his wife, like to see the sights while they’re in town. But he said with BART workers on strike, they haven’t been able to cover much ground.

“We wanted to head out to Walnut Creek,” he said. Now they may just stay in town. “My wife sat in traffic for two hours and only moved a couple miles.”